Bucket cleaner for trench digging machines



Aug. 19, 1952 w. H. HELLUMS 2,607,136

BUCKET CLEANER FOR TRENCH DIGGING MACHINES Filed Nov. 26, 194.7 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 85 Fig.

o o O 20 2 8 79 60 a o G 2 Q 69 5 5 Inventor William H. He/lums Aug. 19, 1952 w. H. HELLUMS 2,607,136

BUCKET CLEANER FOR TRENCH DIGGING MACHINES Filed Nov. 26. 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2. Fig. /0.

Inventor Will/27m H. He llums WWW Em A g- 1952 w. H. HELLUMS 2,607,136

BUCKET CLEANER FOR TRENCH DIGGING MACHINES Filed Nov. 26, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 7 I] F/g.4. 72 I I 65 43 5 68' l L I f "II n! I I9 20 0 60 6/ l6 73 23 22 v Inventor William H. Hal/ums Patented Aug. 19, 1952 MACH INES

William H. tHellums, Dawson-"Tex. ApplicationNovember 26, 194'1,' "SerialNo;i788,281

4Claims. 1 l

My invention relates to improvements in trench vdigging machines for use especially, although not necessarily, in digging graves.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an eflicient, light weight machine designed to be easily and quickly moved fromplace to place, for instance, in a cemetery, and for digging graves with clean-cut side and end walls without causing cave-ins and the like. v

Another object is'to provide a machine for the purpose above set forth adapted for'operation while'digging a grave to elevate the earth dug out of the grave above the mouth of the grave for convenient disposal at one side of the grave.

Still another object to provide a machine for the above purposes which is power operative to travel over the grave location and dig and elevate the earth dug, as above set forth.

Still another object is to provide a power operated grave digging machine which is simple-in broken away;

Figure 3 is a view in horizontal section, partly in plan, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and Idrawn to a larger scale;

Figure 4 is a" fragmentary viewin-vertical longiftudinal'section; taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in perspective of two of the troughs of the earth digging and elevating conveyor viewed from the rear sides there'- Figure 6 is a similar viewof said troughs viewed from the front sides-thereof Figure 7 is a fragmentary view in plan of the earth digging and elevating'unit;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the upper end of the same;

Figure 9 ma fragmentary viewpartlyin sec- "tion and partly in elevation of the upper end of the earthdigging and elevating unit drawn-to a larger'scale; and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary viewv in horizontal section taken on the line- IO-Ill of Figureland drawn to a larger scale.

Referring now tothe drawings by numerals, in the'illustrated embodiment thereof, the machine of my invention comprises a wheel-supported carriage C having a frame I- formed witha pair ofparallel side bars 2 of any suitable length connected together by front'and rear end cross bars 3, 4, all preferably of channel iron form.

At the front end thereof, the carriage frame I issupported by'a pair of grooved front wheels 5 rotatable on the ends of a channel'axle bar 6 pivoted by a kingpin I toian overlying sector plate 8 extending rearwardly from said front cross bar 3 and bolted'thereto, as a9.

At the rear end thereof, said frame l is sup ported by a pair of rear wheels I0, like the wheels '5, rotatably mounted-on the ends of a channel cross bar II underlying said frame I and suitably fixed'thereto.

The pairs offront and rear wheels 5, ID are spaced'apart in the pairs and grooved to run on parallel rails l2, for-instance, square timbers laid upon opposite sides of a grave location.

Arcuately slotted, rearwardly extending bars I3 on the front cross bar 3 receive-in the slots I4 thereof bolts I5 on the aXle bar 6, said bars I3 and bolts Iiproviding forpivotally adjusting the axle bar- 6 into set position to align the front wheels 5 with the rear wheels I0, as occasion may require.

'At the rear of the carriage frame l is a platform Iiisupported by the rear crossbar 4 and a pair of laterally'spaced channel cross bars'IT connecting the side bars 2 intermediate the cross bar II and the transverse center of said frame I. The platform I6 serves for general'utility and other purposes presently seen. 7

A motor I8 of conventional form is set into the platform It and suitably secured on the cross bars I! with a reverse gear housing I9out of which a drive shaft 20 extends toward one side of the carriage frame I and is operatively conon the platform I B.

A gear pinion 25 freely rotatable on the outer end of the propeller shaft 23 meshes'with-a larger gear wheel 26 fixed, as'shown, on the-faceof said rearwheel I0, whereby the motor I8 may be operatively connected to said wheel II! to drive the same.

'motorreverse' lever -2 I extends out on-said 3 gear housing |9 for reversing the drive shaft and a suitable lever operative clutch 28 provides for clutching the gear pinion to the propeller shaft 23.

The gear 26 is adapted to mesh with a rack bar 29 provided on one rail l2. Thus, the carriage C is adapted to be moved by the described motor drive in opposite directions along the rails 12 and longitudinally of a grave, or grave location. The drive shaft 20 extends through a bearing 30 on the platform l6 and has fast on the outer end thereof a beveled gear 3|, the purpose of which will presently appear. A fuel tank T for the motor I8 is suitably mounted on the platform l6.

Forwardly of the platform I6, a pair of skeleton angle iron frames 32 arise from the side bars 2 in opposite relation with upper horizontal bars 33 and are braced against each other by cross tie bars 34 suitably connected to the upper corners thereof.

Intermediate said frames 32 is an upright, vertically elongated, earth digging and elevating unit 35 of conveyor form comprising a pair of upright side frame bars 36 suitably connected together intermediate the ends thereof by vertically spaced cross tie members such as shown at 31. I

A pair of upper and lower transverse rollers 38, 39 are suitably journaled at the ends thereof in the upper and lower ends of said frame bars 36 to extend between said bars.

An endless earth digging and elevating link type conveyor 4|! is trained around the rollers 38, 39 and which comprises transverse, slat-like troughs 4|, the ends 42 of which form the links of the conveyor by means of which said troughs 4| are pivoted together, as at 43.

The troughs 4| are provided with transversely arcuate, concave, front sides 44 having longitudinal sharp digging edges 45. The front side 44 of each trough 4! is formed transversely on its inner face in an arc concentric to the pivotal axis of the preceding trough 4|, that is, as regards the direction of travel of the troughs, and is also formed with a bottom, longitudinal lip 46 adapted to swing in the succeeding trough 4| with a wiping action against theinner face of said succeeding trough to empty the same as the troughs 4| pass around the front side of .the upper roller 38.

Lateral lugs 41 on the rear side of the troughs 4| adapted to engage in center, circumferential grooves, as at 48, in the upper and lower rollers 38, 39, center the conveyor 4|! on said rollers.

The described conveyor is adapted to be driven by the following means. The before-mentioned beveled gear 3| meshes with a, smaller beveled gear 49 on a. horizontal stub shaft 50 journaled in a bearing 5| on an upright 52 on the platform i5, and also being journaled in a bearing 53 on one frame 32. A gear 54 onthe shaft 50 mesheswith a gear 55 on a horizontal worm shaft-55 journaled in bearings 57 on said frame 32. A worm 58 on the wormshaft 56 meshes with a worm wheel 59 fast-on a* transverse shaft 60 suitably journaled in bearing arms 6 on the frames 32 and having a pair ofsprocket The sprocket chains 63 are equipped with studs Slamm r-r n i a n e te d a n vertically, with the front run of the conveyor 40 so that said studs are adapted to engage rear hooked edges 68 on the troughs 4| and thereby drive said conveyor 40 with a lifting action against the front run of said conveyor.

A clutch 69 on the stub shaft 50, shiftable by a clutch shifter lever 10 on the upright 52, provides for connecting said stub shaft 50 to the gear 54 for driving the worm shaft 56 to operate the sprocket wheels 62 so that the sprocket chains 63 will drive the conveyor 40 as above set forth.

The described earth digging and elevating unit 35 is mounted for vertical movement to lower the lower end of the conveyor 40 into the earth and raise said end out of the earth. The mounting for this purpose comprises opposite pairs of upper rollers mounted in bearing brackets 12 on the upper bars 33 of the frames 32, and similar pairs of lower rollers 13 similarly mounted on bearing brackets 14 on the side bars 2, the frame bars 35 being interposed between the rollers of the pairs for vertical movement with the lower roller 39 of the conveyor 48 being below the lower rollers 13, as best shown in Figure 4.

Means are provided for moving the earth digging and elevating unit 35 vertically comprising the mechanism now to be described. A horizontal shaft 1'5 aligned with the stub shaft 50 is journaled in the before mentioned bearing 53 and a bearing 16 on one side bar 2, and to which the worm shaft 56 may be operatively connected by a pair of gears'il, 18 on said stub shaft 15 and the worm shaft 55 respectively, the gear TI being freely rotatable on said shaft 15. A gear wheel '19 fast on said shaft 15 meshes with a vertical rack bar 8|] secured to one frame bar 36 to extend along the same. A suitable clutch BI is operative by a clutch shifting lever 8| to clutch said shaft 15 to the gear I1.

At the upper end of the combined earth digging and elevating unit 35, in front thereof, preferably, is an unloading cross conveyor 82 on which the conveyor 40 is designed to deposit earth and which is adapted to convey earth thereon to one side of the carriage C and unload the same onto the ground.

The unloading cross conveyor 82 comprises a substantially horizontal, endless belt 83 slanting downwardly toward one side of the carriage C and running on a pair of end rollers 84 journaled in suitable bearing brackets 85 on the frame bars '36. Beveled gearing 86 between one end of the upper roller 38 and the journal shaft 81 of one roller 84 provides a drive from said upper roller 38 of the conveyor 40 to said unloading cross conveyor 82.

Rotary scraping means for the front sides 44 of the troughs 4| is provided at the top of the combined earth digging and elevating unit 35,

the basic element of which is a reel 88 extending parallel to and above the upper roller 38 and journaled at its ends in bearing arms 89 inclining upwardly and forwardly from the upper end of the frame bars 36 so that said reel 88 is disposed over the rear edge of the unloading cross conveyor 82 for a purpose presently seen.

Radial trough-like blades 90 on the reel 83, with longitudinal scraping edges 91 are arranged to be revolved by said reel so as to scrape the front sides 44 of the troughs 4| toward the unloading cross conveyor 82, and as each trough 4| reaches a position between the vertical center of the conveyor 46 and the rear edge of said cross 88 operatively connects the conveyor 40 to said rotary scraping means.

As shown in Figure 3, the rollers 38, 39 may be provided with enlarged ends 93 for spacing the troughs 4| of the conveyor 40 from said roller, intermediate said ends 93, to accommodate the hooked edges 68 of said troughs 4|.

Referring now to the operation of the described machine in digging a grave. With the carriage C of the machine positioned on the rails 12 and said rails positioned along opposite sides of a grave location, the clutch 69 disengaged and the combined earth digging and elevating unit 35 being in its upward limit of movement with the lower end of the conveyor 40 clearing the ground,

the carriage C may be run forwardly or rearwardly by the described motor drive for said carriage and under control of the clutch 23 and the reverse lever 21 so that digging may be started where desired. In this connection, with the clutch 69 disengaged, also the clutch 81, the combined earth digging and elevating unit 35 is held against lowering, under the influence of gravity, by the fact that the worm wheel 59 cannot operate the worm 58 and, therefore, said unit 35 is held suspended by the sprocket chains 63.

With the carriage C located over the grave location, as described, and the clutch 2B disengaged to disconnect the motor drive from the carriage C, the conveyor 40 may be set in motion by engaging the clutch 69, whereupon, with the drive shaft 20 rotating in the proper direction, the worm shaft 56 will be operated to operate the sprocket chains 63 and drive the conveyor 40, counter-clockwise as seen in Figures 1 and 4. In this direction of operation of said conveyor 49, the digging edges 45 of the troughs 4| are adapted to dig and the troughs 41 to be filled with earth andto elevate the earth dug. As each trough 41 travels to a point at the front sides of the roller 38 slightly above the unloading cross conveyor 83, the bottom lip 46 of a preceding trough 4| functions in the manner already described to expel the earth therefrom onto said conveyor 82 which conveys the earth to one side of the machine and unloads the same. As each trough 4| is thus emptied, the front side 4,4 thereof is scraped by the scraper blades 90 of the reel 88 in the manner already described, and, thus, the front sides 44 of the troughs 41 are cleaned of earth sticking thereto before repeat digging operations by said troughs. By engaging the clutch 8|, with the conveyor All operating as described, the combined earth digging and elevating unit 35 may be lowered into the earth as required. By reversing the drive shaft 20, with the clutches 69, 8| engaged, said unit 35 may be raised, as desired. Obviously, the carriage C may be driven to feed the same along the grave location while the digging and elevating is being effected, and in a manner which will be clear from the preceding description.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suifice to impart a clear understanding of my invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a wheel supported carriage, a motor drive for the carriage for causing the same to travel over a digging location, a combined earth digging and elevating unit including an upright endless digging and elevating conveyor, means to mount said unit on said carriage for vertical movement to lower said conveyor into the earth, means to move said unit vertically operative by said carriage drive, means to drive said conveyor by said last-named means, said conveyor comprising troughs constructed and arranged to each expel earth into a contiguous trough at one side of the conveyor, and means on said unit for scraping said troughs on the outside thereof after the earth has been expelled therefrom operative by said digging and elevating conveyor.

2. In a machine of the class described, a wheel supported carriage, a motor drive for the carriage for causing the same to travel over a digging location, a combined earth digging and elevating unit including an upright endless digging and elevating conveyor, means to mount said unit on said carriage for vertical movement to lower said conveyor into the earth, means to move said unit vertically operative by said carriage drive, means to drive said conveyor by said last-named means, said conveyor comprising. troughs constructed and arranged to each expel earth into a contiguous trough atone side of the conveyor, and means on said unit for scraping said troughs on the outside thereof after the earth has been expelled therefrom operative by said digging and elevating conveyor comprising a reel with scraping blades thereon.

3. In a machine of the class described, a carriage for positioning over a digging location, a combined earth digging and elevating unit including an'endless upright digging and elevating conveyor mounted on said carriage, means to drive said conveyor, said conveyor comprising troughs constructed and arranged to each expel earth into a contiguous trough at one side of the conveyor, and means on said unit for scraping said troughs on the outside thereof after the earth has been expelled therefrom operative by said conveyor.

4. In a machine of the class described, a carriage for positioning over a digging location, a combined earth digging and elevating conveyor mounted on said carriage, means to drive said conveyor, said conveyor comprising troughs constructed and arranged to each expel earth into a contiguous trough at one side of the conveyor, and rotary means on said unit for scraping said troughs on the outside thereof after the earth has been expelled therefrom operative by said conveyor. 1

WILLIAM H. HELLUMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 800,367 Foster et al Sept. 26, 1905 993,706 Mundale May 30, 1911 1,349,936 Bentson Aug. 17, 1920 1,531,755 Radovich Mar. 31, 1925 1,623,957 Barber Apr. 12, 1927 1,866,037 Heim et a1 July 5, 1932 1,959,768 Seyferth et a1 May 22, 1934 1,962,075 Hutton June 5, 1934 

